Nutcracking-machine.



B. W. ELDER.

N UTGEAGKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.'1B. 1910.

Patented July 18, 1911.

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WITNESSES:

Bye (Walk [Kidder ATTORNEYS B. w. ELDER.

Patented July 18, 1911.

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llllllllllb "l' I UN D STA BENJAMIN w. ELDER, or SAN ANTONIO; TEXAS.

NU'I'CRACKING-MACHINE.

Speciflcati of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application fiIedAugu I8, 1910,. Serial No. 577,790.

To all whom it may concern: Q

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. Eaten, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Nutcracking-Machine, of which thefollowing is avfull, clear,-and exact descri tion. 1

is invention relates to machines for cracking nuts ofdifi'erent kinds, and has reference more particularly to a machine of this class which comprises a pair of movable members, means for actuatin the Same, and a cutter, the members havmg means for holding between them a nut, and serving to carry the same'into engagement, with and past the cutter, to eifect the severing of the shell of the nut. a

The object. of the invention is to .provide a simple, strong and durable machine for cracking or severing the shells of different kinds of nuts, by means of which nuts having the heaviest shells'can be easily opened yvithout injuringthe kernels thereof, which 18 simple and compact in form, so that it can be easily carried from place to place, which is rapid in operation, which requires little power to driveit, and which can be inexpensively manufactured.

The invention consists in. the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and-particularly set forth in the claims.

ing drawingsaforming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corres onding parts in all the views, andin-whicl1- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofan embodiment of my inventiomshowin parts of the machine broken away; Fig. 2 1s aplan view of the machine; Fig.3 is a transverse section of the machine; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary,

.45 longitudinal sect-ion, showing partsof the movable members and the cutter; 'Fig. 5- is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing parts of .a-modifiedform oft-he machine; ldig. 6 s a fra entary plan view of a further modified orm of theme-chine; and Fig. 7 is a.- horizontal section showing arts .o'fthe cutters of modified form, an a nut between 3 'Before proceedin -toa-more detailed-exfplanation of my nvention, it' should beclearly understood thatwhile the machine Reference isto be had tothe accompanytaneously.

is particularly usefu't in opening nuts which have verythick and hard shells, it can also be advantageously employed in connection with nuts or like objects which are more easily shelled. I have found that the machine is particularly useful in cracking the shell of the coquito nut, or' the Attalea cob/awe, and the Mexican palm nut, film's melanococea. These nuts and other similar ones have very thick and hard shells, which render it extremely difficult to free the kernel, which contains a large percentage of useful oil, and is a valuable natural product. In my machine the nuts are grip ed and held between movable members, an orced into engagement with and past cutter blades which aredriven into the shells and sever the same, the shell splitting sufficiently under these circumstances, so that the kernel can be removed. The arts are so proportioned that the blade Will not penetrate into the kernel and injure the same. Certain of the details of construction, shown for ex- ,ample herewith, form no part of the invention, and can be varied in accordance with individual preference and special condi- -tions,- withoutdeparting from the underlying spirit of theinvention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I providea suitablesupporting base, consisting of parallel members 10, havin flanges 11 which can be secured by means of bolts 12,1 upon a support or foundation. The members 10, at theupper edges have laterally'd-isposed flanges 13 upon which are secured bearingstrips 14,-by means of bolts 15. The bearingst-rips haye-spaced bearings 16, in which are journaled spindles 17 extending transversely of the base. The

bearing strips have further bearings -18, in

which is journaled' a shaft19, the ends of which project laterally beyond the base. The shaft 19 has at one'endadriving pinion 20, and at the other end a fly wheel 21 and a pulley '22, by means of which it can be,

connected through the agency of the belt 23, with a suitable source ofpower. The ends of the s indies-17, "corresponding to that end-of t e shaft 1 9which has the pinions 20,-are extended 'laterally beyond the base, and have gears 24 which are in mesh. One of the ears also meshes with the pinion 20, so t at the shaft serves to drive the pindles 17 'inopposite-directions and simul- Each spindle 17 has keyed or otherwise rigidly secured thereon, between the base members 1.0, a revoluble member or disk 25.

The members are spaced a slight distance pockets to receive and hold the nuts 28,

which are fed int-o osition between the members, through a mute 29 or any other suitable feeding device. The members are so proportioned and arranged that the pockets register when they are at the adjacent sides of the members, so that as these turn toward each other, the nuts can be gripped 'in the pockets and carried through, between the members, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 1. Any suitable number of pockets can be provided though I have shown for example, in the drawings, four pockets.

Cutter members or blades 30, are arranged between the base members, and are pivotally mounted'in positionby means of pins 31 extendin between the members, and secured in suitable openings thereof. The cutters project upwardl into peripheral grooves 26 of the revolu le members and have inclined cutting edges 32, at the upper ends. The cutters are so arranged that the nuts pass between them through the cutting edges. The backs of the cutters engage the revoluble members and are thus limited in their backward movement, the members serving to force the nutsthrough between the cutters, the edges of which penetrate the shell. The knives are held in position by means of springs 33 secured to staples or eyes 34 at the back of the knives, and to corresponding staples or eyes 35 carried by cross pieces 36 positioned between the base members. The cutters have the pockets formed with round grooves or recesses 37, at which they en age the r'evoluble members, as is clearly s own in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of the invention, in which the revoluble members 38 correspond in general to the members 25 of the preferred form. The cutters 39 are pivotally mounted by means of pins 40, between the sides 41 of the nut-cracking machine base, and are held in normal positions, extending into the grooves 42 of the members 38, by means of springs 43. The cutters have reentrant, V-shaped cutting edges 44, near the up er ends, and area-provided at the back wit rounded projections 45, adapted to be an aged by cam studs 46 of the members 38. gv'hen the movement of the members brings the cams 46 into engagement with the rounded projections 45, the cutters are forced inwardly toward each other, to increase the splitting action. The

ringsnormally hold the cutters apart so t at the nuts carried by the members 38 can assume positions between the V-shaped cutting edges 44, whereupon the. knives are forced inwardly to split theshell.

I have found that if the nuts are some- 1 what pear-shaped there is a tendency if two cutters are used, for the nut to be displaced when the pressure is brou ht to bear upon the same. To overcome this difficulty I provide a modified form of the device, shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which one of the revoluble members 47 is similar to the members 25. and has a peripheral groove 48. other revoluble member 49 has a wider peripheral groove 50, and has associated therewlth two cutters 51, spaced apart and opposed to a single cutter 52, which is asso- "ciated with the revoluble member 48. The

remaining elements of this form of the device are similar to those described above in the first instance. When a pear-shaped nut 53 is forced between the cutters it is held, as is shown in Fig. 7, and cannot turn when the cutting edges'are forced into'the shell. side i the splitting action is also enhanced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine of the class described, comprising continuously movable members havmg means for holding and carrying nuts between them, a movable cutter mounted adjacent to said members and arranged to have said members ca the nuts into engagement therewith an past it, to sever the shells of the nuts, and a spring tending to hold said cutter in a normal position, one of said movable members serving to limit the movement of said cutter when the same is being engaged b a nut.

2. A machine of the prising a pair of revoluble disks arranged to revolve in o posite directions and having pockets at t e edges thereof, adapted to register to receive and car nuts, and a pair of spaced cutters capa 1c of limited relative movement and positioned between said members, whereby said members serve to carry the nuts into engagement with and between said cutters, to sever the shells of the nuts.

3. A machine of the class described, comprising a pair of continuously movable members arr-an d to revolve in opposite directions and aving (pockets adapted to register at certain perio s of the movements of said members, and to receive and car nuts, and a pair of s aced cutters positioned under said members, whereby said members serve to carry the nuts into engagement with, and between said cutters, to'

sever the shells of the nuts, said cutters being movable, and engaging said members whereby the r movement away from each other is limited.

By duplicating the cutters at one The ass described, com-- gagement therewith, and between the same,

said members serving to limit the movements of said cutters, and s rings tending to hold said'cutters in norma positions.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising a pair of continuously movable members having means for receiving and ca ing nuts, a pair of movably mounted carriers adapted .to have the nuts forced into en agement therewith to sever the shells 0% the nuts, and means tending to hold said cutters in normal positions, said members serving to limit the movement of said cutters away' from each other, and serving further, to hold said cutters against movement transversely of the planes of said members.

6. A machine of the class described, having a pair of revoluble members adapted to receive and carry nuts between them, and provided with peripheral grooves, and pivoted cutters extendin V movably into said coves and adapte to have the nuts rought into engagement therewith to' sever the shells thereof,

7. A machine of the class described, comprising a pair of revoluble members, each having a peripheral groove, and further, having transverse pockets formed in the peripheries thereof, said pockets being adapted to receive and carry nuts, cutters movably mounted between' said members and each extending into one of said peripheral grooves, and means for holding said outters in normal positions.

8. A machine of the class described, comprising a pair of revoluble members having pockets a apted to'receive and carry nuts, means for simultaneously driving said members, and movably mounted cutters, said revoluble members having means for engaging said cutters, and moving the same toward each other at predetermined intervals.

prising a air of revoluble members, having pockets a apted to receive and carry nuts, means for simultaneously driving said members, and movably mounted cutters, adjacent to said members, said members having cam projections adapted to engage said. cutters simultaneously, to cause them to approach each other at predetermined inter- Vale, and springs tending to hold said cutters in normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribm Witnesses.

BE JAMIN W. ELDER.

Witnesses:

Jorm K. BRACHVOGEL,

J 01 m P. DAVIS.

9. A machine of the class described, com- 

